Love Stories

had been the honour of a gentleman rather than the Mosaic Law. There was, therefore, no particular violence don

ney and a hereditary thirst, he is bound to drink. The Lindley Grants did not understand this and made themselves obnoxious

doing, and cut out champagne altogether. He took up golf to fill in the time, too, but gave it up when he found it made him thirstier than ever. And then, with things

but, like all drinking men, he is a broken reed, eccentric and irresponsible. No daughter of m

rant had got roaring full at a club that night and presented the ring to

at time and started up with a horrible fear that the thing she was waiting for had come. But Billy Grant was still

to make the rounds before the Staff began to drop in, found Billy Grant very still

demanded, aggrieved. "I ought t

e Nurse breathlessly. "H

ng the door behind her, and leaving the interne to hunt the symptom record for himse

ed over the reco

ery talkative.' 'Breathing hard at four A.M. Cannot swallow.' And then: 'Sleeping calmly from five o'clock

for worlds would either have allowed the other to know that he or she remembered. Now and then the Nurse caught Billy Grant's eyes fixed on her as she moved about the room, with a curious wis

air. There was one brief moment in which he stood tottering on his feet. In that instant he had realis

ne she brought an extra pillow to put behind him, and h

he said. "Lying there in the bed shakin

She had always hoped that her cap gave her height

y, having got so far, and both of them coloured. Thrashing about desperately for something to break the wretched silence, he seized on the one th

ly Grant had not had the safety valve of action. As she placed th

ech; the usual question of the marauding male, a query a

you? For

no more turning aside from dangerous sub

floor and to put a clean cover on the stand, and after that to bring a fresh glass and place it on

Billy Grant. This was, to change

te you?" counter

u would. I forced

not have

inking about making some one

over there!" she burst out. "If they

her face before any one, she put her arms on the stand and buried h

had a shoc

im

rother," fro

breath of relief. For

ably consent. "Isn't he-don't you think that-I might be allowed to-to help Jim? It w

arms still out before her on the table. "Why did you coax so? You said

N

snap for me." This was a

that, t

less little ges

-why?

I know-to be even with some pe

lat denial of any sentimental r

at you car

didn't care enough to be hurt by anything I

aken his hate into the very valley of death with him should now find himself thinking of both Lindley and his wife with nothing more bitter than contempt shoc

t myself and the things I have done that I shouldn't, and about the girl. And of course, you kn

was very lovely that day. She had always been lovely, even when the Staff Doctor had slapped her between the shoulders long ago-you know about that-only Billy Grant had never noticed it; but to-day, sitting there with the thermometer in his mouth whi

thermometer, "the thing is not irre

he thermometer!" she said ster

wn under Symptoms, she came back to her chair by the window, facin

" she

to g

, pl

y other diabolical truck to swallow," he said somewhat peevishly, "w

ng an extra blanket she spread it

r hands lay on the table near him and h

And it will help me to tell you s

hes beside them-its waterless fountain and its dingy birds, he told her about the girl and the Lindley Grants, and even about the cabman and the ring. And feeling, perhaps in some current f

od this girl did and faced unabashed. Life, as she knew it, was not all good and not all bad; passion and tenderness, violence

hat he was burying it with her. When he finished, her hand on the table ha

her moving about, rejoicing in her quiet strength, her repose. How well she was taking it all! If only-but there was no hop

in the sickroom were out. In the hall a nightlight burned low, Billy Grant was not asl

tiptoeing in, with her hair in a long braid down her back and her wrapper sleeves falling away loosely from her white

re by pulling oneself up by the bars of the bed, and then by slipping first one leg, then the other, over the side. Properly don

the chair. He had made no sound. That was good. He would tell her in the morni

doorway and stood looking through

hole young body was shaken with silent sobs; her arms, in their short whit

ort of groan. Almost instantly she was at the door, her f

-are you worse?" s

hating himself; "just no

t, but-resting

shoulder and her voice still a little strained from crying. In the dark

like anothe

re is o

le she patted and smoothed it into place. He was mustering up his courage to ask for somethin

y. And then, seeing her draw back, he took an unfair a

be ab

rd-under the c

quite well if

chin well up. Then she hesitated, turn

"will you go to sleep? And will you pro

my ar

your

ent over him in the darkness; and quickly, light